Trev & I were in a canasta tournament yesterday. We play in this same tournament every year. It's the only game of the entire year in which we are partners. Usually we play with another couple and it's always Boys vs. Girls. But apparently we don't make too bad a team, Trev & I....we are the only couple, in the 7-year history of this annual tournament to win twice. Yep, we won yesterday. 16 teams - we are the champions (I know, the song's in my head too LOL). Mostly it's bragging rights, but we also came away with $60 cash ($20 more than we put in to play).

Our kids look forward to this annual event too because it means an entire 10-hour stretch at Grandma & Grandpa's house. They look forward to messing up G&G's pristine backyard snow, eating at the store (waffles usually), playing with G&G's dress-up clothes and Lego, and this year - a new highlight...doing, and leaving done, every single puzzle G&G own. We had to go downstairs and view this impressive art gallery of puzzles before we could leave with them in the evening. Also this year, it was 5 degrees outside (very unusual for mid-January) so there were snowmen to be built, or in this particular instance, a SnowMama with her baby in her arms (look closely - I thought it was boobs the first time I saw it too - oops.)

Today's highlight for me? Skipping church....is that bad? OK, I didn't skip church because I can't stand it or anything. I love my church. What I can't stand, is having a cold and sitting in church hacking away and sneezing and being totally distracted and feeling miserable. So Trev took the kids and I stayed home. I got buns made for lunch, laundry and vacuuming done for company later in the evening and then before I tackled my clean-up job in the basement (see previous post), I had a very nice cup of coffee and really good devotions.I memorized this verse: 1 Peter 5: 6-8 "Humble yourself therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you."So, I spent quite a bit of time then, wondering what it looks like to humble myself under God's mighty hand and what that might look like in my life right now....and came to the conclusion, that it ultimately means for me, giving up my plans and dreams and all the things that I think should happen in my life - the pride and self-sufficiency of thinking I have it all figured out (which obviously I don't).Letting go.I'm back to that.You may or may not have seen my post earlier -

I found this piece of art online and it speaks to me in the same way the lyrics to Francesca Battistelli's song "Letting Go" does. I'm also reading Sandi Patti's book Falling Forward right now - falling forward, as in, Into God's arms of love and forgiveness, as opposed to backwards into self-pity, guilt, more sin, etc. I love it. I love this whole picture of letting go and falling into God. I also love where this picture leads my mind....if I let go of MY plans, I know for sure that a.) God has a plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11)b.) His plan for me is good (John 10:10)andc.) Even the best plan I could make is nothing compared to what he can do (Eph.3:20)